Wire fence gate



Dec. 25, 1951 fi I 2,580,147

- WIRE FENCE GATE Filed Aug. 51, 1949 V b I 2 V- LAi. 0

1N VEN TOR.

ATTOE/VE Y Patented Dec. 25, 1951 UNITED srArs ea ot-"Flor: f

' 1 Claim. (01. 256-2) 1 I This invention appertains' to a gate for wirefences, especially barbed wire fences, and has for an object to providea simple, convenient,

and efiective means to be applied to adjacent strands of a wire fence tospreadthe same apart to permit of the easy passage of an individualthrough the opening so formed, with a minimum 'of danger of injury tothe person or his or her clothing.

Another object of the invention has to do with the provision of a meansof the above mentioned character and which is collapsible for its easyand convenient portage from one point of use to another, thus making itpossible" to take short cuts across wire fenced fields to save time andlikewise installed.

With these and other objects and advantages in view, the inventionresides in the certain new and useful combination, construction, andarrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, setforth in the appended claim, and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a section of a barbed wire fence andshowing the gate structure applied thereto, the gate also being inperspective;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the lower endportion of one of the extensible wire spreading members and showing thecooperative relation of the pawl and rack for permitting the adjustmentof the relatively movable parts of the member and to hold the partsfixed in the adjusted positions thereof;

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken through the line 3--3 on Figure 2,looking in the direction of the arrows; and,

Figure 4 is a side view of a carrier for the gate structure, when it iscollapsed and nested within the carrier for portage.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Figure l, Pdesignates a pair of fence posts supporting three strands of barbedwire, designated from top to bottom at a, b, and 0, respectively.

Generally, the invention is comprised in a pair of identical extensible,or jack-knife, members adapted to be engaged, in spaced apart relation.

between adjacent strands of the barbed wire, preferably, strands b and0, extending between the post P; means to allow for the extended andcollapsed adjustment of the relatively movable parts of each member andto hold the same at the positions of adjustment; and a flexible elementinterconnecting the upper ends of the memhere to protect the person andhis or her clothing against contact with the upper of the wires.

As shown, each of the extensible members is comprised in a pair ofelongated metal bars Ii) and I2, rectangular in cross-section, disposedin parallel relation for relative endwise movements of adjustment intoeither extended or collapsed state, the lower and upper ends of the barsI!) and I2 being V-notched, as at M, for the engagement of the same withthe wire strands c and b, respectively. The upper end of the bar I0 isprovided with a laterally offset plate 16, which is apertured for thesliding engagement of the upper end of the bar I2 therewith, while thelower end of the bar H1 is likewise provided with a laterally offsetplate I8, secured thereto, as by a pin Illa or in any other suitablemanner, for the sliding engagement of the lower end of the bar I2therewith; the two plates extending from the bar ends in right angularrelation with respect thereto.

The bar l2 has its outer side face formed to provide a series of rackteeth 20 intermediate its ends and a pawl 22 is mounted on the plate l8for'cooperation therewith; the pawl preferably being made of a length offiat spring steel which has its lower end outwardly bent at an obtuseangle to provide a foot portion 24, secured to the plate l8, outwardlyfrom the opening through which the bar 12 depends, and its upper endoutwardly bent at an acute angle to provide a rack tooth engagingportion 26. Engaged within the angle of the portion 26, of the pawl 22,is the substantially straight end portion 28 of an operating elementwhich is also made of a length of flat spring steel and has its lowerend portion 30 extending downwardly through a second opening formed inthe plate [8, outwardly from the foot portion 24, of the pawl 22, andcurving inwardly toward the lower end of the bar l2 to provide afinger-piece for actuating the element to affect the release of the pawlfrom the rack. A pair of cars 32 is formed on the opposite side edges ofthe operating element, at the point of its passage through the opening,and these are engaged on a pivot pin 34 which is in- $l d inwardly of atransverse bore opening through a side edge of the plate l8 and extendsacross the opening for the purpose.

With the extensible members interposed between the wire strands b and cand adjusted to spread the same apart, as shown in Figure 1, and inorder to protect the person or his or her clothing from otherwisepossible injury or damage in passing through the gap beneath the upperwire strand 1), a strip of a flexible material, such as heavy weightcanvas or the like, indicated at 36, is stretched between the extensiblemembers and detachably fastened, as at 38, to the plates [6.

To have the gate, as thus constituted, available for use at all times,particularly by farmers and others having need to traverse areas fencedin with barbed wire, a carrier 40 is provided for its portage from onepoint of desired entry or exit through a fence to another, and the sameis comprised in an elongated bag, of canvas or other suitable material,having a flap closure 42 and a hand grip 46 at its open end, the flapbeing secured in closed state by suitable means, such as a snap fastener44.

In use, the extensible members are adjusted to their shortest length andnested together, along with the protector strip 36 in folded state, forinsertion inwardly of the mouth of the bag 40; the adjustment of theindividual members being affected by finger pressure exerted against theouter side of the lower curved portion of the operator 28 which tensionsthe upper end por tion thereof sufiiciently for it to snap the pawl 22free from engagement with a tooth of the rack 20, when the bars l and I2may be shifted endwise as required.

Having thus fully described my invention, it is 4 to be understood thatthe words which I have used are words of description rather than oflimitation, and that changes within the purview of the appended claimmay be made without departing from the true scope and spirit of theinvention in its broader aspects.

What I claim is:

A gate for providing a passageway through a barbed wire fence,comprising in combination a pair of identical adjustably extensiblemembers adapted to be interposed vertically in spaced apart relationbetween adjacent strands of wire to spread the same apart, each of saidmembers being comprised in a pair of parallel bars, means at the innerends of said bars interconnecting the same for relative movements ofadjustment, means at the outer ends of said bars for engagement with theadjacent strands of wire, cooperative means carried by said bars tosecure the same in adjusted state, and a protector strip of flexiblematerial stretched between the upper ends of said members to lie belowthe upper one of the wire strands to prevent contact of the personpassing through the opening between the spread wires with the upper onethereof.

ERNEST WILSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 516,151 Buehl Mar. 6, 1894880,031 Mackenzi et al Feb. 25, 1908 1,193,233 Brown Aug. 1, 1916

